


from dust

by i_was_human



Series: forged from flame [6]
Category: Lost in Translation (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Blood, Dragon Riders, Gen, Kings & Queens, Murder, No Beta, Politics, Post-Betrayal, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:33:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29257521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_was_human/pseuds/i_was_human
Summary: It's only when he notices the armor under his cloak that Daehyun starts to think something's up."Hey, hyung!" he greets, rising from his throne to greet him. "What's going-"It's so quick.
Relationships: Kang Dongho | D.Min & Kim Daehyun
Series: forged from flame [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1981847
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	from dust

Dongho arrives, and Daehyun lets him in.

This, though he doesn't know it yet, is the beginning of the end.

And yet he has absolutely no reason to suspect anything. He has no reason to think _anything's_ wrong, except for maybe a trade deal or something of the like.

After all, they promised to be friends just a month ago, and Dongho's kind. Dongho's kind, and he's not like Enother. 

Dongho wouldn't betray them.

So he tells his guards to open the gates and give them a warm welcome, because that's what friends do, isn't it?

Give warm welcomes?

(he shouldn't have. this decision haunts him every day for the rest of his life- he _shouldn't have_.

retrospect is one hell of a bitch.)

* * *

When Dongho first enters the throne room, Daehyun sees absolutely nothing wrong.

Sure, he's in his royal finery, but considering he's come to call (albeit unexpectedly), that's not out of the ordinary. Sure, there's a sword hanging from his hip, but when isn't there? It's his kingdom's tradition, after all. 

It's only when he notices the armor under his cloak that Daehyun starts to think something's up.

"Hey, hyung!" he greets, rising from his throne to greet him. "What's going-"

It's so quick.

It's so, so quick, and Daehyun stumbles back as blood sprays over his shirt and pants, and Dongho pulls his sword back, expression blank as blood drips on the floor, and Daehyun-

Minyoung.

Minyoung's lying on the floor, her dark hair fanning around her head, and Daehyun can hear distant screams and shrieks, can hear the guards rushing to fight (they won't win, they're a peaceful nation, they don't fight) but all he can see is Minyoung.

She pushed him back.

She pushed him back, and Dongho stabbed her. Meant to stab him.

"Daehyun-ah," Dongho warns, and _god_ , it is a warning, it's a warning, because Minyoung's dead or dying and there's blood all over his boots and this throne room turned into a horror show in a matter of seconds, and Daehyun can't-

"Run."

Daehyun steps back, the warning registering in his mind, but gaze still pinned on Minyoung.

_Run._

_Minyoung._

"No, no, hyung, I- _why_? _Why_ are you-"

"I don't want to," Dongho sighs, flicking his sword to shake off some blood.

There are more bodies in the throne room, now.

"Daehyun-ah, please. Please run."

And Dongho's staring at him, and Minyoung's bleeding out on his boots, and so Daehyun, coward he is, runs.

* * *

The palace floors are slick with blood.

Daehyun skids around a corner, another sob tearing its way from his throat as his shoe catches on another guard (body) and he crashes to the ground. And _god_ , the temptation is so strong to just lay here, to just lay here and accept his fate, but he _can't_.

Minyoung's dead for him.

Minyoung's dead _because of him_ , and he needs to- he needs to make that _mean something_. 

Boots click against the floor, and Daehyun sobs, stumbling to his feet and tripping forwards. He has to- has to go, has to escape, has to-

He only makes it four steps before pain lances through his shoulder. 

He screams, hand coming up to clutch his shoulder, and it's seeping onto his clothes, the arrowhead embedded in his skin and only hurting worse with each step he takes, but he has to keep going.

"Run faster," Dongho advises, and Daehyun chokes on a sob as he scrambles forwards, mind set on finding Reni.

If he finds Reni, he can escape.

Hopefully they haven't hurt his stupid little noodle dragon. Hopefully they haven't killed him.

Please, please let Reni be safe. 

Another arrow shoots past his ear, and Daehyun skids around a corner, boots nearly losing traction on the blood-slick floor.

There's so much blood. So much blood, and so, so much death.

Reni makes a small confused sort of noise as Daehyun leaps onto his back, reaching up to grab fistfuls of his mane before spurring the dragon into action. 

The dragon takes off, shooting into the sky as fast as he can, and Daehyun clings to his mane, burying his face in the soft fur and _sobbing_. 

If he cared to look, he'd see it's all gone. He'd see the lakes are stained red with blood, see the city's been torn apart by people hell-bent on destruction.

He doesn't. 

He's always been a coward like that. 

No - instead, Reni takes off towards Jaewon's kingdom, noodle-like body contorting as he shoots forwards, and Daehyun just _sobs_.

* * *

There's so much death in the palace.

Dongho strides through the blood-stained halls, grimacing as his boots stick to the floor.

God, he hates this.

He hates- he _hates_ this.

He wipes his blood-slick hand on his jacket, wiping it once more when he realizes the blood won't come off. 

He has blood on his hands, now.

"M'lord," his second-in-command states, and Dongho turns, wiping his hand once more on his pants. "Our secondary force is approaching the Northern Kingdom. We must head for the West."

Dongho bites his lower lip, gaze drifting to the body splayed on the ground in front of the throne. It's Daehyun's friend.

He met her once, he thinks. Back at the Unity Festival.

"I need a minute," he simply replies, and his second-in-command nods, heading for the ground floor.

He's always been someone enchanted by violence.

God, Dongho wishes he could say he was the same.

He drifts closer, dropping into a crouch next to the body. She was- she was kind, he remembers, but not much more.

It feels insulting, almost. Him being the only one here.

(he then remembers this is war.)

Still, he closes her eyes and arranges her limbs so she looks a bit more like she's sleeping. It's not enough, but it's the least he can do. 

(the guilt _looms_ \- dark and clawing and all-encompassing, and if he stops for even a moment, it'll eat him alive-)

"I'm ready," he declares, and his second-in-command leans back around the corner, eyes sparking with a familiar lust for war.

He should've known.

That's all his country can ever agree on, in the end. 

**Author's Note:**

> title from warriors by 2wei
> 
> i listened to that and duel of the fates on loop while writing this oops
> 
> thanks to frog for the line "I don't want to. Daehyun-ah, please. Please run."
> 
> [twit](https://twitter.com/i_was_human_) | [lit fic discord!](https://discord.gg/CNunB74)


End file.
